1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for disabling time critical and moving targets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to stop enemy forces from launching ballistic missiles from mobile missile launchers (TELs), it is necessary to disable the TEL before a launch is completed. The launch sequence for launching a ballistic missile from a TEL is less than ten minutes and may be substantially shortened in the future.
The time required for an airplane to travel to a target, such as a TEL, from a loitering patrol may be 15 minutes. Under the best circumstances, a TEL may be attacked by a loitering patrol in about 30 minutes from the time that sensors following the TEL, such as from the air or on the ground, have detected stopping of the TEL to launch a ballistic missile. In practice, because of the large time required to reach the TEL with loitering patrolling aircraft, the ballistic missile associated with the TEL will have been launched 20 minutes before the shortest time possible for a loitering patrolling aircraft to reach the site where the TEL is positioned. In fact, most often a TEL will have launched a ballistic missile and exited the area of a ballistic missile launch long before a loitering patrolling aircraft could reach the launch site. In the 1990 xe2x80x9cGulf Warxe2x80x9d, not one TEL was successfully attacked before, during or after launching a ballistic missile.
Furthermore, short range (1,000 km) solid fuel missiles having a great acceleration at launch, may become widely available. Short range solid fuel missiles reach burnout very quickly and have a short period of vulnerability during a booster phase before burnout to a first stage active missile defense designed to hit the booster phase with a counter-missile.
A successful TEL defense must be predicated upon greatly reducing the time required to intercept the TEL after detection thereof. The interception of a TEL should occur in a time window within five minutes of stopping of the TEL to prepare for a launch.
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a prior art rocket-boosted five-inch naval shell known as the EX 171 ERGM (hereinafter ERGM). The ERGM 10 is comprised of a guidance and navigation section 12, a control section 14 which controls canards 16 to control flight, a group of submunitions 18 which are deployed at the attack site, a solid fuel rocket motor 22 and a group of fins 24 which are fixedly deployed upon firing. A safe and arm device 26 performs the function of arming the submunitions.
The ERGM 10 is fired from a five-inch gun as illustrated in FIG. 2. After the initial rapid acceleration produced by firing from the gun, which subjects the ERGM 10 to high xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d forces, such as 12,000 (G)s, the canards 16 and fins 24 deploy and the electrical battery therein is activated. The rocket motor 22 is then ignited which propels the ERGM 10 to what may be a substantial-distance of many miles to target 44. The flight may be in excess of 50 miles under guidance control by the combination of a GPS and inertial guidance provided by the guidance and navigation section 12. The guidance and navigation system 12 steers the missile to a position above the target 44 at which the submunitions 18 are dispensed from an altitude, such as 250-400 meters, within a cluster 19. The cluster 19 containing the submunitions 18, strikes the vicinity of the target 44.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, after the initial firing of the five-inch shell, there is a motor burn period 40 during which the ERGM 10 accelerates. Beginning at substantially the same time as the motor burn 40, the guidance and navigation section 12 acquires, during a GPS acquisition window period 42, communications with a GPS satellite (not illustrated) to determine the position thereof which enables control of the canards 16 by the navigation and guidance section 12 to guide the ERGM to the coordinates of the target 44 at which the submunitions 18 are dispensed in cluster 19.
FIG. 3 illustrates the prior art air dropped advance remote ground unattended sensor (ARGUS) 110. The sharp tip 113 is guided by control surfaces 114 to embed in the ground 112 after free fall after dropping from an airplane. The ARGUS 110 contains microphones (not illustrated) which detect the acoustic signature of ground vehicles moving in the vicinity thereof. The control surfaces 114 stop the rear cap 111 from penetrating below the ground 112. The radio 118 and antenna 116 uplinks to a GPS satellite the coordinates of the ARGUS and any sensed ground vibrations produced by movement of vehicles in the vicinity thereof.
The ARGUS 110 has a diameter of five inches, a weight of 83.2 lbs. and is deployed from an aircraft with a free fall terminal velocity of about 243 feet per second. The ARGUS 110 has a geodynamic diameter of four inches and geodynamic ballistic coefficient of 916 psf. The ARGUS 110 may penetrate in the ground up to 100 inches. During penetration into the ground 112, the deceleration forces may be 129 (G)s with 340 xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9ds being a maximum. High energy density lithium primary batteries (not illustrated) are contained in the ARGUS 110 and have a running life of at least three months. The batteries provide electrical power for activation of the GPS radio 118 which provides communications 120 to a satellite (not illustrated) which may function as a command center or a relay to a command center. Alternatively, the communications 120 may be linked to an unoccupied air vehicle (UAV).
Additionally, a wide area munition (WAM) has been developed for defending against track and other wheeled ground vehicles. A small lightweight platform, which may be dropped from a vehicle or from the air, permits deployment in virtually any territory including flat or sloped surfaces. The WAM may be activated manually to permit personnel to move from the area prior to arming or activated by remote control.
Seismic and acoustic sensors in a WAM are activated, after deployment, which monitor ground and environmental conditions to detect and classify tracked and wheeled military vehicles. Upon detection of a target vehicle, a WAM tracks the target vehicle and launches a sensor fused sublet over the target vehicle. An infrared sensor on the sublet detects the target vehicle and initiates an explosively formed penetrator (EFP) warhead to defeat the top vehicle armor. The sublet has a range of up to 100 meters from the initial ground deployed position.
Electronic communication capability may connect WAMs into a network to provide communications with a control center. The identification of characteristics of oncoming enemy vehicles, including vehicle type, geographic coordinates, speed and heading may be detected by the control center.
Air deliverable acoustic sensors (ADAS) are passive non-line of sight acoustic sensors for detecting, classifying and tracking ground and air vehicles at extended ranges. ADAS may be hand deployed, remotely by truck, helicopter or other vehicle. An ADAS locates and classifies the ground vehicles, helicopters, artillery, and rocket launchers at extended range.
The present invention is a method and system for disabling a time critical target at a site within a geographical area, a guided missile launch assembly, and a method and system for disabling a moving target within a geographical area. The invention utilizes a combination of sensors, deployed within or adjacent to the geographical area or which are airborne, to monitor the geographical area to determine if a time critical target or a moving target is present therein. Spaced apart air deployed missile launchers are located within or adjacent to the geographic area. Each missile launcher contains a guided missile. The guided missile launchers are sufficiently close to any site within the geographical area at which a time critical target or a moving target is located or may be located that upon detection of the target by the sensor(s), the guided missile from at least one guided missile launcher may be launched sufficiently quickly to prevent the time critical target or moving target from being enabled to complete a mission such as launching a ballistic missile and/or moving from the site to prevent disablement thereof. Each missile launcher in most types of ground almost completely buries itself in the earth on impact so as to be undetectable.
Any target site within the geographical area is located at a distance from at least one missile launcher within or adjacent to the geographical area which is not more than a maximum distance of travel of a guided missile launched from one of the missile launchers to the site. The maximum distance of travel requires less time than a minimum time available to successfully enable the time critical target at the site to perform a mission such as launching a guided missile.
When a moving target is to be disabled within a geographical area, at least one and preferably a plurality of spaced apart missile launchers located within or adjacent to the geographical area are launched to a projected site at which the moving target is intercepted. The moving target within the geographical area is located at a distance from at least one spaced apart missile launcher which is not more than a maximum distance of travel thereof. The at least one guided missile is launched from the at least one spaced apart missile launcher to a calculated position within the geographic area at which at least one guided missile is to fly to disable the moving target. At least one sensor, which may be a ground deployed sensor, a spacecraft borne sensor or an airborne detector, detects the moving target within the geographical area. At least one processor, which may be located at the control center, calculates a site to which at least one guided missile is commanded to fly to intercept and disable the moving target. The command center is linked to the at least one sensor and to the plurality of missile launchers which commands launching of at least one guided missile, and preferably a plurality of guided missiles, from missile launchers to disable the moving target at the site calculated by the at least one processor in response to the detecting of the moving target by the at least one sensor.
The invention may utilize the prior art ERGM as part of an air deployed guided missile launcher assembly. A sleeve containing a guided missile such as, but not limited to, the ERGM, is deployed from the air. The sleeve has a pointed end which penetrates the ground upon impact. Because the launcher is embedded in the earth, it is not detectable. In one preferred embodiment, an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve are utilized in the guided missile launcher. The inner sleeve is mounted to telescope relative to the outer sleeve and telescopes upon impact with the ground so that the pointed end of the inner sleeve containing the missile penetrates into the ground.
The prior art ERGM may be modified to include a transceiver which communicates to a satellite or airframe the GPS coordinates of the deployed guided missile launcher assembly and receives commands to launch the guided missile therein from a command center. A battery powered unit maintains the transceiver and the missile in an electrically powered status when embedded in the ground. A fin assembly is located proximate to the transceiver. The fin assembly may act to stop penetration of the outer sleeve into the ground to prevent burying of the transceiver which could interfere with or prevent communications with satellites or airframes. The outer sleeve also provides a guidance path for launching of the guided missile.
The present invention provides rapid attack of time critical targets and moving targets. The guided missiles may be of a short range design to reduce expense and are smaller than conventional guided missile launches which are located on friendly territory. The smaller size and weight of guided missile launchers in accordance with the present invention facilitates airplane deployment. A large number of guided missile launchers may be deployed by a single airplane flight. The use of GPS coordinates to signal, via an uplink to a satellite, the position of each active guided missile launcher, permits the deployment pattern to be of low precision and imprecise since the position of each successfully deployed guided missile launcher is relayed by aerial communication relays, such as in UAVs or satellites and relayed to the control center. The relatively short range between any possible target and the array of guided missile launchers of the present invention, is less than the maximum range of the guided missiles within the guided missile launchers. The flight time required to fly the maximum range is less than a minimum time available to successfully enable the time critical target at the site or the time required to fly to the site of disabling the moving target.
The GPS link between the airborne guided missiles with GPS satellites permits updating of flight position during flight. The command center can transmit updates of the target rendezvous point via the satellite communications link. This permits the missile to xe2x80x9cfollowxe2x80x9d the target. The satellite radio uplinked GPS coordinates permits a command center to know where operational guided missile launchers are located to permit complete coverage of the geographic area. If, at any time, part of a geographic area in which coverage of guided missile launchers is desired is not successfully covered, additional air deployed ground missile launchers may be dropped to complete coverage.
The relatively small expense of the guided missile launchers of the present invention makes it acceptable for a significant fraction thereof to not be successfully deployed as a consequence of hitting ground surfaces which are too hard or too soft.
A combination of ground sensors such as, but not limited to, the prior art ARGUS or aerial reconnaissance using known radars or other detection technologies from moving platforms, such as in airframes, UAVs or satellites may be used in accordance with the invention.
The present invention permits a guided missile launched from a guided missile launcher in accordance with the invention to fly to a TEL or other target within 120 seconds of launch time. This short time permits destruction of an offensive ballistic missile before launch thereof from a TEL.
A system for disabling a time critical target at a site within a geographical area in accordance with the invention including a plurality of spaced apart missile launchers located within or adjacent to the geographical area with each spaced apart mobile missile launcher containing a guided missile, any site within the geographical area being located at a distance from at least one spaced apart missile launcher not more than a maximum distance of travel of a guided missile launched from at least one of the spaced apart missile launchers to the site, the time of travel of a missile from the missile launcher to the site requiring less time than a minimum time required to enable the time critical target at the site. The spaced apart missile launchers may each comprise a sleeve and a pointed end penetrated into ground at a site, the sleeve at least partially penetrating into the ground and containing the guided missile to be launched from the missile launcher. The system may include at least one sensor, the at least one sensor detecting a time critical target at at least one site within the geographical area; and a command center, linked to the at least one sensor and to the plurality of spaced apart missile launchers, which commands launching of a guided missile from at least one of the spaced apart missile launchers to disable at least one time critical target at at least one site detected by the at least one sensor. The spaced apart missile launchers may be located in a geometric pattern within the geographical area. The geometric pattern may be a plurality of adjacent hexagons. The missile launchers located within the geographical area may comprise a transceiver with at least an antenna disposed above the ground which transmits a radio signal indicating coordinates thereof within the geographical area and which receives commands for launching the guided missile to disable a time critical target at one site; and the guided missile contained in the missile launchers may contain a guidance system which controls flight of the guided missiles and which is in radio contact with the transceiver or a command center to control flight thereof. An unmanned aircraft may illuminate the time critical target with a beam of light; and the guided missile may include a sensor which senses reflection of the beam of light from the time critical target and may guide, in response to the sensed reflection of the beam of light, the missile during flight to the time critical target. The spaced apart missile launchers may each comprise an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve. The inner sleeve may contain the guided missile and may telescope relative to the outer sleeve into the ground and contain a battery power unit which maintains the transceiver and the missile in an electrically powered status when embedded in ground. The outer sleeve may have a fin assembly located proximate to the transceiver; and both the inner and outer sleeves may be a debris-free guidance path for launching of the guided missile. The time critical target may be a mobile ground missile launcher. The at least one sensor may be in the ground within the geographical area or in flight.
An air deployed guided missile assembly in accordance with the invention includes a sleeve which is deployed from the air, the sleeve including a pointed end which penetrates the ground upon impact with the ground; and a guided missile contained within the sleeve with the sleeve guiding and providing a debris-free path for the guided missile during launch. The assembly may include an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve containing the guided missile which is mounted to telescope relative to the outer sleeve and which telescopes upon impact with a ground contact point when deployed from the air. A transceiver with at least an antenna may be disposed above the ground after impact which transmits a radio signal indicating coordinates of a location of the guided missile within a geographical area of deployment and which receives commands for launching the guided missile to fly to a site; and wherein the guided missile has a guidance system which controls flight of the guided missile and which is in radio contact with the transceiver or a command center to control flight thereof. The inner sleeve may telescope relative to the outer sleeve into the ground and contain a battery power unit which maintains the transceiver and the missile in an electrically powered status when embedded in the ground. The outer sleeve may have a fin assembly located proximate to the transceiver when the pointed end penetrates into the ground; and both the inner and outer sleeves may be a guidance and debris-free path for launching of the missile.
A system for disabling a moving target within a geographical area includes a plurality of spaced apart missile launchers located within or adjacent to the geographical area with each spaced apart mobile missile launcher containing a guided missile, any moving target within the geographical area being located at a distance from at least one spaced apart missile launcher not more than a maximum distance of travel of a guided missile launched from at least one of the spaced apart missile launchers to a calculated position within the geographical area at which at least one guided missile is to fly to disable the moving target; at least one sensor, the at least one sensor detecting the moving target within the geographical area; at least one processor for calculation of a site to which at least one guided missile is commanded to fly to disable the moving target; and a command center, linked to the at least one sensor and to the plurality of spaced apart missile launchers, which commands launching of a guided missile from at least one of the spaced apart missile launchers to disable the moving target at a site calculated by the at least one processor in response to the detected moving target detected by the at least one sensor. An unmanned aircraft may illuminate the time critical target with a beam of light; and the guided missile may include a sensor which senses reflection of the beam of light from the time critical target and may guide, in response to the sensed reflection of the beam of light, the missile during flight to the time critical target. The spaced apart missile launchers may each comprise a sleeve and a pointed end penetrated into ground at a site, the sleeve at least partially penetrating into the ground and containing the guided missile to be launched from the missile launcher. The spaced apart missile launchers may be located in a geometric pattern within the geographical area. The geometric pattern may be a plurality adjacent hexagons. The missile launchers located within the geographical area may comprise a transceiver with at least an antenna disposed above the ground which transmits a radio signal indicating coordinates thereof within the geographical area and which receives commands for launching the guided missile to disable the moving target; and the guided missile contained in the missile launchers may contain a guidance system which controls flight of the guided missiles and which is in radio contact with the transceiver or the command center to control flight thereof. The spaced apart missile launchers may each comprise an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve; the inner sleeve containing the guided missile and telescoping relative to the outer sleeve into the ground and containing a battery power unit which maintains the transceiver and the missile in an electrically powered status when embedded in ground; the outer sleeve may have a fin assembly located proximate to the transceiver; and both the inner and outer sleeves may be a guidance and debris-free path for launching of the guided missile.
A method for disabling a time critical target at a site within a geographical area in accordance with the invention includes air deploying a plurality of spaced apart missile launchers located within or adjacent to the geographical area with each spaced apart mobile missile launcher containing a guided missile, any site within the geographical area being located at a distance from at least one spaced apart missile launcher not more than a maximum distance of travel of a guided missile launched from at least one of the spaced apart missile launchers to the site, the time of travel of a missile from the missile launcher requiring less time than a minimum time required to successfully enable the time critical target at the site; detecting a time critical target within the geographical area; and launching at least one guided missile from a guided missile launcher and guiding the at least one guided missile to the site to disable the time critical target.
A method for disabling a moving target within a geographical area in accordance with the invention includes air deploying a plurality of spaced apart missile launchers located within or adjacent to the geographical area with each spaced apart mobile missile launcher containing a guided missile, any moving target within the geographical area being located at a distance from at least one spaced apart missile launcher not more than a maximum distance of travel of a guided missile launched from at least one of the spaced apart missile launchers to fly to the calculated position within the geographical area at which at least one guided missile is to fly to disable the moving target; providing at least one sensor to detect the moving target; detecting with the at least one sensor the moving target within the geographical area; providing a command center, linked to the at least one sensor and to the plurality of spaced apart missile launchers; using at least one processor to calculate a site to which the moving target is calculated to be moving and to which at least one guided missile is commanded to fly to disable the moving target; and commanding, with the command center, launching of at least one guided missile from at least one of the spaced apart missile launchers which is guided to fly to the site calculated by the at least one processor in response to the detection of the moving target to disable the moving target at the site. An unmanned aircraft may be provided which illuminates the time critical target with a beam of light; and the guided missile may be provided with a sensor which may sense reflection of the beam of light from the time critical target and guide, in response to the sensed reflection of the beam of light, the missile during flight to the time critical target.